China’s delivery companies are ordered to disinfect international mails upon arrival and hold items for at least seven days before delivery, as parts of tightened measures to prevent the spreading of coronavirus from overseas, China’s State Post Bureau said on Saturday.
The administration will step up inspection of the mail processing sites, urging couriers to follow basic health protection requirements including wearing masks, washing hands frequently, checking their own temperature and discouraging large gatherings, in order to ensure the safety during the process of sending and delivery.
Relevant authorities are required to strengthen nucleic acid testing for all couriers, in a bid to enhance public confidence across the country’s express delivery industry.
In January, several cases uncovered in Beijing, Zhuhai and Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong Province were suspected of being linked to contaminated mails coming from overseas.
Entering March, a total of more than 29,000 cases of COVID-19 infections were reported nationwide, affecting 28 provincial-level localities, including Northeast China’s Jilin Province, Shanghai and South China’s Guangdong Province.
In order to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 from overseas, many provinces have moved to tighten regulations for overseas mail.
Beijing Municipal Postal Administration required full disinfection of international mail every four hours at the processing sites, while postal workers who exposed to international mails are required to undergo two nucleic acid tests every seven days.
A postal company in Chaoyang district, Beijing was quoted as saying in an interview with Sina News that they will carry out at least three rounds of disinfection for international mail upon arrival, holding them for more than seven days before final dispatch to recipients.
Experts noted that contactless delivery is encouraged and smart express delivery boxes could also be used, suggesting the recipients open mail outdoors, disinfect the inside of the mail package, and sanitize and wash their hands carefully.
A worker packs kumquats for express delivery in Rong’an County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dec. 5, 2021.Photo:Xinhua
